MISSING: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS CHILD?
by PenguinTimes
Summary: "Twenty-two seconds was all it took; a hard knock to her head and a hand placed deftly over her mouth to keep her from screaming, and four hands bundling her into the car. Twenty-two seconds to change her life forever." Trigger warning.
1. Chapter 1

**MISSING: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS CHILD?**

* * *

The sky was void of light, and a thick air of danger hung in the air like fog.  
The clouds above her were so thick that not even the stars were visible, and a thin layer of frost was beginning to submerge each blade of grass, crystallising any flower that had so far managed to avoid the clutches of the harsh November climate.  
Fixated on her phone, Dynasty wrapped spare arms around herself, trying to gather as much warmth as possible. Pop music with love orientated lyrics and computer generated rhythms throbbed into her eardrums, and she obliviously hummed along as her heels clicked a concrete accompaniment.  
Had she been more aware of her surroundings, she just might have made it home, to a hot meal and her own bed. But, as it happens, when the black sedan with tinted windows surreptitiously pulled up alongside her, Dynasty was too busy texting to notice.

Twenty-two seconds was all it took; a hard knock to her head and a hand placed deftly over her mouth to keep her from screaming, and four hands bundling her into the car.  
Twenty-two seconds to change her life forever.

* * *

"..._In other news, police in the Greenock area have been alerted to a case of possible child abduction last night after a witness claimed seeing a girl being forced into a car and driven away by an unknown suspect. She is thought to be in her late teens and-"_

"Such a shame," Maggie shook her head pityingly as she switched off the radio in the school house's kitchen. "I hope they find the poor thing soon." Rhiannon snorted.

"Like that'll happen. They're more likely to find a body if you ask me." Harley and Kevin exchanged a glance with one another, the latter rolling his eyes at Rhiannon's cynicism. Maggie sighed.

"If everyone thought like that there'd be no one looking for her! Go on kids, you're gonna be late if you don't get a shift on." Kevin went about his morning routine as if were any other day; brushing his hair and teeth and packing his bag happily unaware of the turmoil he was about to face.

* * *

"Have you seen Dynasty? She hasn't texted me back since last night, you heard from her?" Imogen shrugged and furrowed her brow at her compact mirror, more concerned in correcting her eyeliner than the whereabouts of her friend.

"Nope. Probably just overslept. Here, hold my mirror so I can-"

"Kevin Chalk?" Both parties looked up as Sonya called him from the doorway. "Could you come with me please?" Kevin's smile of greeting quickly faded as he noticed how unusually pale and worried she looked, and followed her from the room without a word.  
She led him to Mrs. Mulgrew's office, who let him in straight away and motioned for him to sit down.

"I've... Got some bad news, Kevin." She began, sitting on the edge of the desk and clasping her hands in her lap.

"What's happened, miss?" He asked, still blissfully ignorant.

"It's Dynasty. We had a call from a police officer this morning. She's missing."

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was so hard to write (no idea why) and that's why it's fairly short. Sorry about that.  
Anyway, I know Dynasty is 18 in the programme and everything but I'mma go ahead and count her as a child still.  
The next chapter will be from her point of view (in 3****rd**** person tho if that makes sense) and there may be some parts that are quite hard-hitting so please be aware if you're planning on being wonderful and sticking with me.  
Thanks for reading, and if you're planning on following I'd really appreciate a review as well- they keep me going and motivate me to keep writing (:**

**Here's to the journey!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you guys for the reviews! They really made my day and I appreciate them so much. I wanted to apologise for a couple of grammar/spelling mistakes in chapter 1, I obviously didn't check it thoroughly enough.  
Enjoy chapter 2!**

* * *

Fear is comparable to a cold grasp; a clutch on one's heart and an icy river in the bloodstream. Like a freezing winter morning, it can take your breath away, accelerate your heartbeat and give you goosebumps.  
If fear was an ocean, cold and harsh, then Dynasty was submerged.

* * *

She was tired, hungry, and cold, but most of all she was absolutely terrified. She couldn't recall a time when she'd ever been more scared- although being raped came close.  
Dynasty understood nothing, but she feared everything. All she knew was that she was in a room with just a bed, a sink, and a boarded window. She had attempted to pry one of the wooden boards away but the only thing that shifted was one of her fake nails that broke due to the force.  
Her head, having been struck, still throbbed with every beat of her heart, although the dizziness had now ebbed away and she could think more clearly once again. She'd been transported by car -she knew that much- but had been blindfolded and forced to lie on her face, the hands of stranger pressing her down. The only two voices she'd heard had been unfamiliar; although she knew that a third person had to have been in the car with them. For how long they had driven she had no clue, and all sense of bearing had been lost to a blurry mist of sobbing and begging to be allowed to escape, that she wouldn't tell anyone because no one needed to know.  
Her pleas fell on deaf ears, and once they'd eventually reached their destination she was half-dragged-half-carried into a building that smelled of damp and did nothing to warm her up. The blindfolded was torn off as she was shoved into the room with just a bed and a sink and a boarded window, her kidnappers retreating and the heavy door locked and bolted behind them.

She spent a short time pounding on the door, screaming and crying and pleading to be set free from the captivity in which she was being held, but quickly realised that this was to no avail. So she sat, tears running rivulets down her pale cheeks, and hugged her knees to her chest. Her thoughts were of home, of her family, of Kevin. Surely they would realise soon, and come looking for her?  
For a girl raised to distrust the police force, in that moment Dynasty placed a colossal amount of faith into the law enforcement to be able to track her down and rescue her from this nightmare, this purgatory. What the kidnappers wanted from her, she couldn't fathom. Was it for money? Sex? Or just sick pleasure?  
She shuddered to think of her dignity being torn away for a second time, and her tears started afresh. It didn't make sense as to why it was _her _that had been taken; as if she hadn't had enough misfortune to deal with already. She'd long ago given up on the idea that everything happens for a reason, and this only reaffirmed her feelings. This would in no way make her stronger, only more afraid and more wary of the human race.

Once she was unable to cry any longer, Dynasty forced herself to her feet and ran some water through the tap, using the liquid to splash her face and take a quick drink. The bed's mattress was hard and a little bit pointy in places, but she curled up on it anyway, wrapping her arms around herself and pretending she was in Kevin's, safe and warm and unthreatened by evils unknown.  
Exhausted and emotional, she slipped into a broken sleep, feelings of unease embedded deep into her subconscious and nightmares infiltrating her mind as if they were the predator and she the prey. She dreamed of imprisonment, confinement, and isolation. Of wounds that bleed only on the inside, hopeless hymns and, above all else, immense pain that quietens for nothing.

* * *

She awoke to the clang of the door as it shut, and could have kicked herself for having been asleep at her first chance to see her captor's face. Instead, she was greeted by a measly looking sandwich and a bottle of water- they seemed to have worked out that food and clean water is essential to remain alive.  
Despite it's meagre quantities, she swallowed her meal quickly and without reservations, and drank some of the water- it was so much fresher than the stuff from the tap.  
Unsure what to do next, she crawled to the corner of the room and leant against the wall, tears threatening to flow again. She attempted to keep her strength up and not give _them _any satisfaction, but when all you have to do is think and feel it is hard to keep your emotions from overtaking. She stared at the wall, at her hands, at the nail that had chipped off yesterday. It was so small, so insignificant, and yet it was the very thing to push Dynasty over the edge.  
What else would break before she was allowed to go free? Bones? Her resolve to remain strong? Her _mind_?

"Let me out!" She screamed, hurling her small frame against the door. "Please, I can't take it! I'll do whatever you say, just please let me go!" She hammered the wood with her fists and kicked it with her feet, all the while crying and shouting and just generally making a very loud noise. "Pl-ease!" She sobbed, her voice breaking as she slid to the floor and slumped against the wall.  
As if by magic, the door opened. A tall figure stood over her, a nasty grin on his face. Dynasty's eyes widened and her hands flew to her mouth as she took him in.

"Hi, babes." Said Steve-O.

The shock that hit her was only comparable to an earthquake, and she pushed herself back as far as possible against the opposite wall as he entered the room and shut the door behind him.

"S-Steve-O?" She choked. "But you're in prison..." He laughed cruelly, kicking aside her plate and the water bottle from earlier and advancing towards her.

"_Was_ in prison. I'm out now, as you can see." She shook her head, voice filled with anxiety and no more than a whisper.

"Please, Steve-O, I'm scared. I want to go home." Kneeling in front of her, he reached out and ran his fingers along the side of her face. She flinched away, bringing her hands up in an attempt to protect herself.

"But you can't yet babe. I've got a score to settle with you and your brother... And that pathetic worm you call a boyfriend. What was his name again? Keira?"

"K-Kevin. And he didn't do you no wrong. You _raped _me, Steve-O, you deserved to go to prison." A brief spark of anger flashed in Steve-O's eyes before he forced himself to smile.

"Oh come on Dynasty, don't pretend you didn't enjoy our time together. Speaking of..." He started to unbutton his shirt, the movement eliciting a sob and an expression of horror from his captive. "I think it's about time we got re-acquainted, don't you?"

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading. If you have time to review I'd really appreciate it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: What did you guys think of last night's episode? I liked it, but I thought it was a little all over the place (: Great acting from Abby and everyone else, of course. Heather Peace was only in it shortly but the attitude coming off her was brilliant.**

**I wanted to thank you properly for reviewing and such, it means a lot to me! The other day I had a bit of a setback in my writing and my confidence has taken a bit of a hit, so your kind words all all the more important to me.  
The only thing is, it's strange coming from a fandom (South Park) where my favourite character is the fan favourite and finding that Dynasty is not one of the faves in the WR fandom (': You people making the effort to review on a story you wouldn't usually read does mean an awful lot.**

**Thanks for reading (: Back to Kevin we goooo.**

* * *

"It's Dynasty. We had a call from a police officer this morning. She's missing." It took a few seconds for the news to register in Kevin's brain, but when it did it hit him with all the ferocity of a hurricane. A million-and-one thoughts started to race through his mind: was she hurt, was she alone, was she even _alive_? The pieces of the puzzle slotted into place as he recalled her silence, her absence in registration and the news story on the radio at breakfast. _He should have known._

"I... She was the one who was kidnapped?" Christine nodded, unable to make eye contact with her student. She knew that there were no words that could possibly make him feel any better.

"I'm afraid so. A police inspector is on his way here to speak to you and her other friends, and they've already got a _lot _of people on her case." He shook his head in disbelief. "I'm so sorry, Kevin. But don't lose hope, they'll find her." Kevin thought back to what Rhiannon had said earlier- that they were more likely to find a corpse than anything else. He looked up at his headteacher, blinking back the threat of tears.

"But what if they don't find her alive?"

* * *

The normal buzz of Waterloo Road had diminished somewhat. Students and teachers alike spent their day talking in hushed, pitying voices that froze mid-sentence each time they saw Kevin, who wandered the corridors in a haze of shock and grief.  
The police officers who came to speak to Kevin, Imogen and Connor did so with sombre expressions poorly hid through reassurances that did everything to comfort themselves and nothing to comfort their interviewees. Although they tried to kid themselves otherwise, the three teenagers came away knowing that their contributions would be of no particular help to the investigation and couldn't help but feel that the officers' time would be better off spent elsewhere.  
Kevin, stricken with anguish, had attempted to insist that he should go with them, but was instead convinced to return to the school house and leave his mobile switched on at all times in case Dynasty attempted to contact him. He learned that similar things had been said to Carol, Kacey and Barry- the latter of which took absolutely no notice and took it upon himself to launch a search party aloof from the efforts of other members of Greenock. Equipment had been set up in their house to record any incoming phone-calls in case either Dynasty or her kidnappers tried to phone them.  
As of yet, no demands had been made, but Kevin sensed that there was more to it than that. He knew that it was unusual for a person to be abducted for no particular reason; there had to be a level of logic behind it and he _had _to find out what if there was to be a hope in hell of finding his beautiful girlfriend alive.

* * *

_The sunset that night was spectacular. Its fiery blush bathed everything in its wake with a golden hue, and Kevin and Dynasty lay side by side watching as the great fireball smiled its goodbye. Turning on his side, Kevin stared at his girlfriend, entirely enamoured by her golden curls, her blue eyes, her love-heart lips. He adored the curvature of her spine, the contour of her collarbone, the perfect peachy clarity of her skin.  
Slowly, passionately, he leant towards her and brushed his lips against hers, fingers exploring her ever-so-slightly protruding ribs. She smiled into his kiss, running her hands through his brunette locks. She could stay this way forever, bathed in the warm glow of the sunset and the resounding glimmer of the love they shared._

"_I love you," He breathed. "I couldn't live without you." She slid her hand into his and clutched it tightly, as if she was defying anyone to try and tear them apart._

"_You'll never have to live without me, babes. I love you too."_

* * *

This was insane. His girlfriend was out there somewhere, probably terror-stricken, and he was at home agonising rather than helping her. His phone kept beeping with messages of support that he wished away; with every staccato beep he would leap up in case she had somehow managed to communicate with him. Unable to stand the isolation of his room any longer, Kevin shrugged into his jacket and pocketed his mobile. He paused at the front door, leaning his head against the cool wood.

"Please, Dynasty," He pleaded into the darkness. "Stay strong, I'm coming for you."  
His first port of call was a reluctant one, knowing that it could very much blow up in his face. Holding his phone to his ear, he waited for his call to be picked up.

"This better be good, weed." Barry's voice was a snarl.

"Meet me, Barry. We have to find her."

* * *

Barry was pacing up and down when he arrived at the meeting place, resembling a captive lion. Kevin wavered as he realised that, somewhere, Dynasty might be doing exactly the same. He offered no greeting, instead getting straight to the point.

"What's going on? Do you know something about this?" The eldest Barry sighed, running a hand through his abnormally unkempt hair. His accent, when he spoke, was thick with emotion. In a stroke of sorrow, Kevin was reminded of how the same would often happen to Dynasty's when she was upset or angry.

"Alright. I don't like you, and you don't like me. But I'm going to tell you something and it _has _to stay between us, understood? Me sister's well-being could be threatened if you go mouthing off." Kevin nodded, perplexed.

"Barry, what is it? Tell me!" Exhaling sharply, Barry swallowed and turned to return his gaze.

"I think I know who's got her. Steve-O's out of jail."

* * *

**I'm probably gonna be alternating between Kevin and Dynasty each chapter now (:  
****At the risk of sounding pathetic, pleeease do review if you're planning on following/favouriting this story while it's still in progress. I'm sure if any of you write yourselves, you know that sometimes reviews help to keep you motivated, and I am definitely one of those people. They make me smile an awful lot (:  
****That aside, thank you so much for the reviews so far! I love getting them so much!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay I'm writing chapters in advance but I'm trying really hard to stick to posting on a weekly basis rather than posting as soon as I've written because otherwise I'm afraid I'll never finish it haha.  
Thanks for reading! We're back to Dynasty again.**

* * *

Dynasty didn't know exactly how long she had been locked up for. She was bereft of light in her prison cell, but her natural body clock told her it had been at least a day, give or take a few hours. Among the crushing blow of Steve-O's attempt to reclaim her as his own, the isolation was overwhelming. All she wanted was to hear Kevin's voice, or Imogen's- or even Barry's. She wanted someone to hold her and tell her the nightmare was over, but at the same time the thought of being within someone else's grasp was abhorrent.  
She had given up on trying to plead through the door in fear of angering her captors, and instead passed the time lying on the bed facing the wall and trying to comfort herself with happy memories of herself and Kevin. She paced, counting her steps until the number was lost to the countless stars, totally liberated but entirely harnessed to the night sky.

* * *

Just as Dynasty had resolved to use the sink as a makeshift toilet, she heard the sound of the key turning in the door's lock and a heavy metal bolt being drawn back. A man she didn't recognise entered, cropped hair of a dirty blonde shade and a hardened expression on his face.

"C'mon. I'm to take you to the loo, but don't you dare try and run off." He tried to take her wrist, but she pulled away with a scoff.

"I can walk by meself, thanks." She glowered, reluctant to be touched anymore than she had to be. The man rolled his eyes. His accent was purely scouser, and she could only assume that he was a friend of Steve-O's.

"Yeah, Steve-O said you were stubborn as hell. Fine then, but I've more than happy to smack you one if you put even a toenail out of line." He led her to the bathroom and warned her not to be long, leaving the door open a fraction in case she somehow managed to climb out of the tiny window at the top of the wall.  
Once she was finished, he took her back to her room and tossed a fresh set of clothes at her.

"Why've you brought me new clothes?" She asked. It seemed strange to Dynasty that they would attempt to take care of her, even if they weren't doing a very good job of it.

"As much as we're all tickled by the schoolgirl act," He gestured to her uniform. "These clothes are clean and Steve-O wants you looking and smelling good. Try not to disappoint him." Her heart dropped; his words inferred that Steve-O planned on paying her another visit in the near future.  
As the stranger left again, she swapped her blazer, blouse and skirt for a jumper and skinny jeans that were a size too small. She sat uncomfortably on the edge of the bed, trying to pull her golden mane of curls into a ponytail and wiping away a tear that had slid down her cheek. She felt sick to her stomach, but told herself that this time she would not cry. She would not do anything. She couldn't give him the satisfaction.

For a moment of distraction, she searched through her blazer and skirt pockets. Naturally, they had taken her phone, but she did find a nail file, some lipgloss, and a blunt-edged key that opened the door to Chalkey's flat. She stared at her three treasures for a moment, wondering if she could somehow escape using them. Perhaps she could file her nails into tiny daggers and use them to shred her captors' faces, stab them with her key or distract them with her perfectly glossed lips before rushing out the door. Dynasty shook her head and sighed at her rather useless finds, but carefully hid the nail file and lipgloss under the mattress all the same. She kept the key clasped in the palm of her hand, a cherished token of Kevin and a life she was desperate to return to.

'_Once this is over, you'll move in with Kevin. Maybe you can find a nice new flat with no bad memories and everything will be okay_.' She told herself, just another uncertainty in a precarious situation.  
She wasn't sure he would even still want to be with her after this. He had been so wonderful after she was raped the first time, supportive and unwavering in strength.  
But now? She was used goods, shattered and mentally mangled. He didn't need this, the added burden of having a traumatised girlfriend alongside A-Levels and university applications. She couldn't give him what a normal girlfriend could, especially when it came to the bedroom. His touch, no matter how loving or gentle, would never feel the same.  
"_Stop_ it," She whispered to herself. "You've got enough to think about at the moment without torturing yourself."

* * *

"Dynasty babes, what's wrong?" Steve-O pulled away from the collarbone he had been caressing. Her stomach churned at the forged look of concern on his face, as if he cared what was wrong. "You're not as... Lively as usual."

'_Aside from what you're putting me through_?' She thought, but forced herself to smile sadly.

"I just... When are you gonna let me go home?" Steve-O looked genuinely confused at her words.

"Home? This _is _your home. You have me, what else do you need?"

'_Are you insane_?' She made herself lean against him and sigh dejectedly.

"But I miss me mum, and she's probably worried about me. Couldn't I just go home for a little while and then come back?" She tried to flutter her damp eyelashes at him, acting all innocent. He leapt to his feet and started to pace.

"You think I don't know your game? You'll just run away, and have me sent back to the bin again. I ain't going back there Dynasty, not even for you."

"But Steve-" He cut her off, exchanging normality for outrage in a matter of seconds.

"Shut it! You're mine." He snarled, face uncomfortably close to hers. "Do you think I can't see what you're doing? You think I'm thick, don't you?" She stood defensively, raising her hands in an attempt to calm him.

"No, I-" She was cut off by the smash of his closed fist into the side of her face.

'_He's unhinged._'

* * *

**A/N: That was tiring! (: You've probably worked it out already but for future reference internal monologue will be in italics.  
Thanks for reading, reviews are appreciated and will be rewarded by lots of cyber hugs (and I also got twitter recently so maybe in a follow? EmilyRose1395 :3)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you for reviewing, you lovely things. Enjoy chapter 5!**

* * *

"What do you mean Steve-O's out of prison?" His tone was desperate. "It's only been a few months, he's supposed to be in there years!" Barry's complexion was paler than Kevin had ever seen him.

"That doesn't matter right now. What _does _matter is getting my little sister away from that psycho." He spat, rolling up the sleeves of his jacket. "Now listen, here's what we're gonna do."

* * *

Two days had passed, and they were no closer to finding Dynasty. The thought of what she could be facing with every second wasted was driving Kevin to insanity.

"Come _on, _Barry," He moaned impatiently. "Surely someone's got to know something?" Barry glowered at Kevin over an A-Z map of the local area, where he had been noting possible places where his sister might be being held.

"Will you just shut up? If we don't do this right it could be game over- for all of us." Kevin stared at him incredulously.

"Exactly how many ways are there to do this? All we need to do is find where Steve-O is keeping Dynasty, find a way in and get out again. We could be running out of time!" Barry was on his feet in seconds, an accusatory finger in Kevin's face.

"Think about this then, moron: Suppose one of these guys reports back to Steve-O, says we've been digging around. He's not gonna sit pretty and wait for us to come knocking for me sister, is he? He's gonna move her first, and then come after _us_ before any other mug realises that there's a link between her disappearance and his leaving prison. And then who would find her, eh?" Kevin raised his hands submissively. He knew Barry was right.

"Okay, okay, I see your point. So what can I do?" Barry rolled his eyes as he retook his seat.

"Just give me a couple of hours, right?"

* * *

Later that day, Kevin laid on his bed, staring empty-eyed at his ceiling. He missed Dynasty terribly, and would have given anything to have her lying next to him on the bed once again. He thought about her smile, the way she would rest her head on his shoulder when they were hugging, how she would always shake her head when she was upset. Tightly clasping one of her jackets to his chest, he breathed in her scent and sobbed into the cotton fabric. It was a fragment of the last time Dynasty had been in his room, where they'd shared the night in a whirl of passion, feverish desire and warmth.  
Suddenly, images of Steve-O holding and kissing her in the same way he had just days beforehand intruded his conscious, and the repulsion was so great that it took all his might not to vomit. He knew that if she was being treated even half as badly as he imagined, Dynasty would never be the same. There were some things that time could only soothe, and would never heal entirely.

Kevin's train of thought was interrupted by his phone vibrating on his bedside table- Barry had messaged him. '_Meet me at the docks. Now._' It read.

"Alright, I've got a list of where Steve-O and his lads might be. Now what we're-" Kevin interrupted him, his brow crinkled.

"What do you mean, 'his lads'? There are more of them?" Barry sighed exasperatedly.

"Of course there are more of them, dumbo. What do you think this is, a Disney Princess movie?" He scoffed. "He's bound to have other people around to keep an eye in case anyone is stupid enough to go after him. Which brings me back to us doing just that." He rolled out his map, now dotted with circles and arrows.

"This is everywhere she could be?" Barry shrugged.

"Well I hope so. They're all fairly close, so me and you are gonna go check 'em out to start off with. Any of them look suspicious and we'll just mark it off and figure out how we might find out if Dyn is in there." Kevin nodded, but a thought had occurred to him.

"Wait, what makes you think that Steve-O has her close by? Surely he'd want to go far away?" Barry shook his head, not shifting his gaze from the map before him.

"Nah, not to start off with. My reckoning is that he's got her somewhere local for now. He might move her later but at the moment I think she's close by."

"Right. And how do you know that these places are the right ones?"

"Look, are we going to stand here all night questioning my resources or are we gonna get out there and start looking for your beloved girlfriend?" Taking the hint to drop it, Kevin nodded and leaned closer to get a proper look at the map.

"Where to first?"

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this is another short chapter, but I'm trying to progress and not waffle too much... Don't get me wrong, loooads of people on here write filler wonderfully, but I really don't.  
Just to let you guys know, this is the last of the chapters I've written in advance and I'm so rubbish at updating it's ridiculous. Sorry in advance, I will try to stay on top of things ;_;**

**Ta for reading, as always!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6, after a bit of a wait. Sorry about that!  
Thank you for your support lovelies, enjoy xx**

* * *

Dynasty lay curled-up on the bed, reading an old copy of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' that had been delivered with her evening meal of a ham sandwich, an apple, and bottled water.

"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing." She murmured to herself, quoting straight from the text before her. In English class they had analysed the sentence, but it didn't strike such a chord with her until that moment.

Time had bled away from the wound of her captivity, and Dynasty felt as though months has passed when in reality it had only been two or three weeks. Steve-O had laid off a bit, and the girl was starting to feel more at ease. She still felt pangs of loneliness and the pain of missing Kevin and her friends and family, but she poured all of her time into reading to distract herself from the negative thoughts.

Nights were the hardest. She'd lie awake staring at the swirling pattern on the ceiling, trying as hard as she could not to let her mind wonder to her old life. Thinking of home comforts led to tears, and she couldn't cry any more

The everyday routine was mind-numbingly boring. She'd be allowed out of her little prison cell to use the bathroom whenever Steve-O's guys felt like getting up, and delivered back with breakfast of bread and juice. She would fill her morning with fairly meaningless tasks -drawing, reading, even counting the floor tiles- until lunch, where she might be granted the precious commodity that was a packet of crisps or a chocolate bar. The afternoon would be just as boring as the morning, with a toilet break and the odd book delivery when her measly dinner was served.  
Sometimes in the evening she would feel under her mattress for her treasures- the lipgloss, nail file, and the key that she'd saved from her school clothes. She'd stroke each one with her fingertips; her last physical reminders of home. She had managed to dislodge part of a floor tile hidden by her bed, and spent many hours secretly filing the edges and sharpening one of the corners.  
She didn't think she could take on Steve-O _and _all of his men, but when the time came that his gentle touch shattered her into a million pieces and she no longer cared about living, she would be able to take out at least one of them- and maybe even herself.

* * *

**Sorry, this is ridiculously short but I figured that it would do no good to force myself to write. I think there'll probably be one last chapter after this (: Reviews would be appreciated; I wasn't actually gonna finish this but I don't want to be one of those writers that never finishes a story. **

**Thanks!**


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